EU internet roaming cap could prompt phone selling

The 33 million British consumers planning to take their mobile phones abroad with them during this summer could benefit from lower charges with the introduction of a new cap.

Under the new European Union (EU) legislation that has come into force, people may be prompted to trade in an old mobile phone and select a handset that offers web capabilities.

According to uSwitch.com, mobile internet costs will drop to 81p per megabyte or less from July 2012 and will decline between then and 2014 to around 40p.

A poll by the website found that 49 per cent of respondents have returned home from trips abroad to find steep bills, with costs averaging £149.

"With more than ten million smartphones now in circulation in the UK, this will be welcome news to gadget lovers," said uSwitch.com technology expert Ernest Doku.

Under new pricing caps that came into force on July 1st 2011 and will be in place until June 30th 2012, charges for making calls while roaming will stand at 35 cents per minute and below, while the maximum that can be charged under the Eurotariff for receiving them is 11 cents.